Euphorbia plant named ‘Duestawhifla’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Euphorbia  plant named ‘Duestawhifla’, characterized by its compact, upright, outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; and numerous white-colored flowers.

Botanical designation: Chamaesyce hypericifolia.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DUESTAWHIFLA’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Euphorbia plant, botanically known as Chamaesyce hypericifolia and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Duestawhifla’.

The new Euphorbia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact Euphorbia plants with freely branching and flowering habit.

The new Euphorbia plant originated from an open-pollination in July, 2009 in Rheinberg, Germany of a proprietary selection of Chamaesyce hypericifolia identified as code number F-02-02, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Chamaesyce hypericifolia as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Euphorbia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany in May, 2011.

Asexual reproduction of the new Euphorbia plant by vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany since July, 2011 has shown that the unique features of this new Euphorbia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Euphorbia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Duestawhifla’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Duestawhifla’ as a new and distinct Euphorbia plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright, outwardly spreading and mounding plant         habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Numerous white-colored flowers.

The new Euphorbia can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Euphorbia differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in leaf color as plants of the new Euphorbia have lighter green-colored leaves than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Euphorbia can also be compared to plants of Euphorbia ‘Inneuphdia’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,567. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Euphorbia differed from plants of ‘Inneuphdia’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Euphorbia were more compact than plants of         ‘Inneuphdia’.     -   2. Plants of the new Euphorbia had shorter internodes than         plants of ‘Inneuphdia’.     -   3. Plants of the new Euphorbia had larger leaves than plants of         ‘Inneuphdia’.     -   4. Plants of the new Euphorbia had larger flowers than plants of         ‘Inneuphdia’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Euphorbia showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Euphorbia plant.

The photograph is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Duestawhifla’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the summer in 12-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Rheinberg, Germany and under cultural practices typical of commercial Euphorbia production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged 22° C. and light levels averaged 4,500 lux. Plants were pinched one time three weeks after planting and were 16 weeks old when the photograph and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chamaesyce hypericifolia ‘Duestawhifla’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Chamaesyce             hypericifolia identified as code number F-02-02, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Chamaesyce             hypericifolia, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Compact, upright, outwardly             spreading and mounding plant habit; broad inverted triangle;             moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching, usually about three to             five primary branches each with numerous secondary and             tertiary lateral branches developing per plant.         -   Plant height.—About 12 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 30 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 12 cm. Diameter:             About 3 mm. Internode length: About 2.4 cm. Strength:             Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close             to 146A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite; simple.         -   Length.—About 4.8 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.1 cm.         -   Shape.—Elliptical.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate to acute.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Pubescent.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Pubescent; rugose.         -   Venation.—Pinnate, arcuate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 146A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 146B. Fully             developed leaves, upper surface: Close to 138A; venation,             close to 147A. Fully developed leaves, lower surface: Close             to 147B; venation, close to 147C.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper surface: Close to 146A. Color, lower surface: Close to             146B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and flowering habit.—Single rotate             flowers arranged in umbel-like compound terminal cymes; very             freely flowering with numerous flower buds and flowers per             plant; flowers face upright and outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower naturally during the             spring and summer in Germany; flowering continuous during             this period; plants begin flowering about eight weeks after             planting.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About ten days; flowers             persistent.         -   Flower diameter.—About 1.3 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 1 cm.         -   Floral bracts.—Quantity and arrangement: Two per flower;             opposite. Length: About 9 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape:             Elliptical to lanceolate. Apex: Rounded to acute. Base:             Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening and fully opened,             upper surface: Close to 155D; color does not change with             development. When opening and fully opened, lower surface:             Close to 155D; color does not change with development. Bract             petioles: Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and             lower surfaces: Close to 146B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.5 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to             146A.         -   Cyathia.—Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Shape:             Ovate. Aspect: Upright. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             immature and mature: Close to 144A.         -   Nectaries.—Quantity per cyathium: One. Length: About 1 mm.             Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Lunate. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color, immature and mature: Close to 146A; towards the             apices, close to 155D.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity per cyathium:             About four. Filament length: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Filament             color: Close to 155D. Anther length: About 0.5 mm. Anther             color: Close to 158C. Pollen: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to             158D. Gynoecium: Quantity per cyathium: One. Pistil length:             About 3 mm. Style length: About 0.5 mm. Style color: Close             to 155D. Stigma shape: Crested. Stigma color: Close to 155D.             Ovary color: Close to 144A. Seeds and fruits: Seed and fruit             development have not been observed on plants of the new             Euphorbia. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Euphorbia have been     observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about     40° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Euphorbia have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Euphorbia plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Euphorbia plant named ‘Duestawhifla’ as illustrated and described. 